First you want to go to hashcode's site, and download SafeStrap 1.0 (version is 1.09 on install as of 02.28.12 for RAZR).

1. Make sure "allow 3rd party apps" is checked so you can sideload SafeStrap
2. Find the apk in your download folder.
3. Install the SafeStrap app.
4. Open the app from your app drawer.
5. Allow root access.
6. Select 'Install Recovery.' This should take a moment; when it completes, 'Recovery State' should show 'Installed.'

Now, you are ready to reboot into recovery.

1. Power the phone off and power it on.
2. You will come to a splash screen that states, 'press menu for recovery access.' You have 10 seconds, otherwise the phone boots normally.
3. Once you press the menu softkey, it will boot into ClockworkMod Recovery
4. From the main CWR menu, select backup and restore from the menu using volume up and down and power button to select.
5. Select backup.

You now have created a backup in CWR of your stock+root!Switch to safe mode and Flash a ROM

The rundown: Essentially, this 'strap separates your userdata (/data and /system) in non-safe mode (stock if you will), from the ROM you will flash in safe mode.

Steps to make a backup in non-safe mode and safe mode are the same, but they CAN NOT be restored interchangeably.

1. Reboot the phone (manually or via an app; ATM reboot to recovery is NOT supported.)
2. At splash screen press menu key. You are now in CWR.
3. Select backup and restore.
4. Select backup.
5. Should take about 1-3 minutes here. This backup is contained on your SDcard-ext (the physical card, unless you don't have one; I need verification that it works without an SD.
6. Done.

You'll notice in a file explorer, that the backups are separated in /sdcard-ext/safestrap/backup/non-safe-xxx-xxx and (once you make one) /sdcard-ext/safestrap/backup/safe-xxx-xxx as they cannot be flashed interchangeably.

To flash a ROM:
1. Make sure the ROM .zip file is on your SDcard
2. Reboot and access recovery as above.
3. Select Safe System
4. Turn on Safe System (this should take a few minutes as it is copying the userdata to an unused partition)
5. Power off and reboot into recovery (have not verified this is acutally necessary)
6. wipe data (in main menu)
7. wipe cache (in main menu)
8. Select mounts and storage
9. Format /system
10. Back to main menu
11. Select Advanced
12. Wipe Dalvik Cache
13. Main Menu
14. Install zip (your ROM) from SDcard
15. Reboot (should take a good while to boot, up to 5 minutes)

REMINDER:
The backups you create in Safestrap are not compatible with any other recovery.

Hints and tips:
If you are having trouble getting Safestrap to install, or trouble installing Recovery, open Superuser app and click update binary.
If you are having trouble getting Recovery installed, you may need to update BusyBox. You can do that with this app from the market.

Thanks to:
fishacura - For getting this started with the original guide for Bootstrapper!hashcode
koush
ndoren
13th angel
clumsyninja21

Thank you. What you said really helped me fill in some blanks. I actually have both downloaded or bookmarked. I was leaning more towards the utility. I am probably being overly cautious.

Droid Razr MAXX

Click to expand...

Actually, being overly cautious is good when you are starting out - it helps you to understand what you are doing to your phone versus rushing in and not being sure how to resolve the issue if you get stuck...pretty soon, it will be old hat and you'll be like "wow"...

Good luck and ask questions as you go along, someone will answer if they know the answer ..

Hello group, esp. Guidot and smalltowngirl13,
Thanks for your work to help us here.
I have Safestrap installed and it is working to launch recovery in non-safe and safe modes.
Of course, I wanted to do a backup of nonsafe, which is STOCK rooted 2.3.6 on my RAZR. I completed the backup and have a "non-safe-2012,03-01..." folder on my sdcard, with a copy of it to my sdcard-ext, also.
My problem is that I cannot prove that the backup will actually work. If I try a backup in nonsafe mode, and it fails, I might brick the phone. So I have tried to restore the nonsafe backup on the safe side ( I thought I read that Hashcodes said that a non-safe to safe restore would work, but not safe to nonsafe, as it is locked. ). The steps seem to work and I get all the way to the "Restore Complete" message. BUT, when I re-boot, remaining in safe mode, the phone remains a blank screen and nothing ever happens. Fortunately, I can power down with PWR+VolDown and boot back to Safestrap restore menu, go back to nonsafe, and all is well with STOCK system. So how do I know my Backup will restore the nonsafe side if needed? Have you actually tried to restore a Safestrap backup with success?
I actually want to leave my STOCK rooted system on the nonsafe side, and copy it to the safe side, where I will try apps and de-bloating, and maybe the ICS ROM leak, while I am sure the nonsafe system is all OK and backed up. I hope that you guys have the knowledge and guts to try a backup and restore on both sides of the Safestrap system to prove that recovery really works. I have read on some other forums that several others users have tried restore and reached the blank forever screen when re-booting. Please let us know what you get.
TIA MIkee

You cannot perform that function with safestrap. You would have to load a stock rom + root in safe mode. Non-safe and safe mode backups are not compatible. I have restored once from non-safe mode and it works. If you are very concerned, take one of the backups and place it on your computer drive, or copy it to an online backup service. With the RAZR you can use fastboot to restore your phone at this point as long as you don't take an update that breaks that functionality.

So, I'd say you are ok, but I realize you are being overly cautious and I can appreciate that. But at the same time, if you have rooted, you have already taken the step over the edge.

I installed a rom the 2nd week into owning my D3 and I have never been back to non-safe mode. But I know its there in case something does happen. There is no ABSOLUTE insurance nothing will ever go wrong with safestrap, but it is the best tool out there to ensure your phone will have the least probability of soft-bricking.

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